{"id":46106,"date":"2025-08-05T03:22:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T03:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/46106\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T03:22:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T03:22:09","slug":"lake-dunstan-trail-and-clutha-gold-trail-cycling-central-otagos-scenic-rides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/46106\/","title":{"rendered":"Lake Dunstan Trail and Clutha Gold Trail: Cycling Central Otago\u2019s scenic rides"},"content":{"rendered":"

Up early the next morning and dressed for cycling, I join a pair of concrete merchants and four other cyclists at the communal breakfast table while unflappable Andy works calmly in her scullery. Sitting down to Oliver\u2019s hearty morning repast of homemade muesli, berries, stewed apricots, homemade bread and jam as well as cooked options, I am ready for action. <\/p>\n

\" Oliver\u2019s Subtle Breakfast. Photo \/ Elisabeth Easther<\/p>\n

Over the road from Oliver\u2019s, the team at Bike it Now! fit me out with an e-bike, then a small group of us are driven to Cromwell to the head of the trail. I am also given Gary, a recently retired arrival to Clyde. At least Gary thought he\u2019d retired after spending 40 years as a commercial baker in Invercargill, but be warned, practical chaps get snapped up round here and find themselves doing everything from driving shuttles to chaperoning solo cyclists. <\/p>\n

Saddled up, we pedal beside the river with its jaw-dropping backdrop of snow-capped peaks. As we ride, Gary tells me how he and his wife relish their new life, and his contentment is contagious. As we shoot the breeze, I try to think of words to capture the colours of the river and cliffs of schist, but everything feels like a pretentious paint chart. What I will say, I could ride this trail every day forever and never tire of it. <\/p>\n

\" More bike art. Photo \/ Elisabeth Easther<\/p>\n

Eight kilometres in we reach Carrick Winery near Bannockburn where we stop for a cuppa on their manicured lawn dotted with chairs, tables and art. With the view duly admired, we are off again. As the sun rises higher, the aroma of thyme fills the air, thanks to some French fella who planted the heady herb back in the day, Gary tells me. Merci monsieur. <\/p>\n

AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n

At Pick Axe Bridge, Gary slows so we can find the eponymous tool wedged into the rock by some long-dead miner. Central Otago\u2019s Excalibur. Pulling over at The Coffee Float, this burger joint operates from an old moored boat at the river\u2019s edge. Shut for winter, it\u2019s actually for sale if anyone fancies picking up sticks and relocating. <\/p>\n

A new photo opportunity around each bend with trail segments called quirky things like Three Little Pigs, Colosseum and Cold Stew \u2013 cheers to the trail builders \u2013 and all too soon we\u2019re back in Clyde, and it\u2019s adios to my new pal Gary. <\/p>\n

\" Bridge to somewhere, although Gary framed it a bit close. Photo \/ Elisabeth Easther<\/p>\n

If the Lake Dunstan Trail is the main course, then the 62km leg from Lawrence to Waihola on The Clutha Gold Trail is dessert. Reaching Lawrence on dusk, I park at Lawrence Townhouse, the brainchild of local entrepreneur Jude. A former shearing gang cook, Jude recognised the town\u2019s future and created a range of accommodation options from the newly built townhouses to Mata Au Lodge. Jude also runs a shuttle service and The Slippery Chip food truck. A hard-case, Jude had seen a fair few towns in her shearing days, but it is Lawrence that stole her heart. Jude also knows what big groups need, from the massive kitchen and living room, this place sleeps six. It also has excellent amenities including laundry and a top-of-the-line massage chair. Instead of going out for dinner, I eat toast and set the controller to full-body Shiatzu. <\/p>\n

Properly pummelled, the next day I set off on another steed from Bike it Now!. Fully charged, the sturdy Merida had been left outside my digs. \u201cNo lock, this is Lawrence mate,\u201d and from the get-go I\u2019m virtually the only rider on the trail. I do spy one far-off farmer, otherwise it\u2019s just me and the rolling green hills. The perfect temperature too, and I relish the aromas of fallen leaves and wet grass, damp wool and wood smoke. Riding through rural Waitahuna, the old rail town features wrought iron sculptures and old bicycles rusting on fences. Gingerly riding the dank dark tunnels, grateful for my torch, I pop out at pretty Mount Stuart Reserve to find a paddock of bonny black sheep with curly horns wagging their undocked tails. <\/p>\n

\" Plump sheep on way to Waihola. Photo \/ Elisabeth Easther<\/p>\n

Riding along under wide open skies, I eventually hit Milton where op shops and farm stores line the bustling main street. The locals go about their weekday business, and I stop for a snack to fuel up for the final 17km leg to Waihola. The bridges on this stretch are very impressive and I stop to chat to a cheerful local who tells me about a local businessman whose largesse makes this section possible, including the native trees and the one-way flax roundabout. All too soon, I\u2019m on the home stretch clattering on boardwalks that lead through rushes and wetlands, when I arrive at Lake Waihola. And the verdict for both these rides? I can absolutely see what all the fuss is about, although rather than ease my FOMO, I just want to go back. <\/p>\n

\" Landscape outside Milton. Photo \/ Elisabeth EastherDetails <\/p>\n

Bike it Now! | bikeitnow.co.nz <\/p>\n

Oliver\u2019s | olivers.co.nz <\/p>\n

Lawrence Townhouse | lawrenceaccommodation.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Up early the next morning and dressed for cycling, I join a pair of concrete merchants and four…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46107,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[32228,1203,49,48,12555,19845,32226,32214,32210,32215,32219,635,32222,32209,32218,32217,5367,32220,3011,3242,16502,32216,32221,25606,32211,32223,32213,32224,32212,32225,82,32227,24179,2535],"class_list":["post-46106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-along","tag-and","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-central","tag-chair","tag-charm","tag-clawfoot","tag-clutha","tag-clyde","tag-cycles","tag-cycling","tag-discovering","tag-dunstan","tag-easther","tag-elisabeth","tag-fair","tag-famed","tag-from","tag-gold","tag-lake","tag-lawrence","tag-lesserknown","tag-massage","tag-otagos","tag-postcard","tag-rides","tag-scenery","tag-scenic","tag-smalltown","tag-sports","tag-thyme","tag-trail","tag-way"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}